SS Great Britain | Details | Drawing of machine for boring cannon, by Marc Brunel, dated 1794

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Actions Displays	Drawing of machine for boring cannon, by Marc Brunel, dated 1794 Remove from selection Add to selection Download mediaDownload media Object number2017.00043 TitleDrawing of machine for boring cannon, by Marc Brunel, dated 1794 Creator Marc Isambard Brunel (artist)‎ DescriptionA pen-and-ink and watercolour drawing inscribed "Machine for boring Cannon - 1794". Marc Brunel's signature, on a separate piece of blue paper, is stuck next to the inscription to bottom left. The drawing depicts three cannon barrels in production - the bottom one is completed in watercolour while the other two are blank, although the backgrounds have been coloured and shaded in watercolour. The date of the drawing is disputed - the 1794 date in the inscription suggests it was produced during Marc's time in New York, which would be backed up by discussion of a New York cannon foundry in Richard Beamish's memoir of Marc. However, due to no other sources for Beamish's claim about such a cannon foundry, it has also been suggested that this drawing is connected to later work by Marc, from around 1822 to 1824. This would have been when Marc Brunel was working in London and was reportedly designing a cannon-boring mill for the Dutch government. It has also been speculated that it was for cannon-boring machinery at the Woolwich Royal Arsenal because Brunel had connections to this place, but the evidence for this seems weaker. The page has unevenly cut or torn edges. There is a large decorative watermark to the paper, with a crown and knotwork. This is apparently the same watermark as on another of Marc's drawings, of plans for clearing the Mohawk River. Production date circa 1794 - circa 1824 Object namedrawing Object categoryart Materialpaper Techniquedrawn, painted Dimensions Page height: 306 mm width: 487 mm Mount (now removed) height: 406 mm width: 556 mm Credit linePurchased with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Friends of the National Libraries and the V&A Purchase Grant Fund

Object number2017.00043

TitleDrawing of machine for boring cannon, by Marc Brunel, dated 1794

DescriptionA pen-and-ink and watercolour drawing inscribed "Machine for boring Cannon - 1794". Marc Brunel's signature, on a separate piece of blue paper, is stuck next to the inscription to bottom left. The drawing depicts three cannon barrels in production - the bottom one is completed in watercolour while the other two are blank, although the backgrounds have been coloured and shaded in watercolour. The date of the drawing is disputed - the 1794 date in the inscription suggests it was produced during Marc's time in New York, which would be backed up by discussion of a New York cannon foundry in Richard Beamish's memoir of Marc. However, due to no other sources for Beamish's claim about such a cannon foundry, it has also been suggested that this drawing is connected to later work by Marc, from around 1822 to 1824. This would have been when Marc Brunel was working in London and was reportedly designing a cannon-boring mill for the Dutch government. It has also been speculated that it was for cannon-boring machinery at the Woolwich Royal Arsenal because Brunel had connections to this place, but the evidence for this seems weaker. The page has unevenly cut or torn edges. There is a large decorative watermark to the paper, with a crown and knotwork. This is apparently the same watermark as on another of Marc's drawings, of plans for clearing the Mohawk River.

Production date circa 1794 - circa 1824

Object namedrawing

Object categoryart

Materialpaper

Techniquedrawn, painted

Dimensions

Credit linePurchased with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Friends of the National Libraries and the V&A Purchase Grant Fund

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